History of the Principality of Albania

In 1913, following the second Balkanic War, Albania was split among
Serbia (Central Albania), Montenegro (Northern Albania) and Greece
(Southern Albania). Austria-Hungary supported the independence of
Albania whereas Russia and Serbia rejected it.
The London conference, including representatives from Austria-Hungary,
Italy, Russia, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, proclaimed on 29
July 1913 the independence of Albania. Article 1 of the final agreement
stated:

Albania shall be an [...] hereditary Principality placed under the
guarantee of the six powers. The Prince shall be appointed by the six
powers.

The civil administration and the finances were to be ran for 10 years
by an international commission representing the six powers. The
military security of the Principality was to be provided by a
Gendarmerie commanded by Dutch officers.

The Wied family is a very ancient German noble family, known since
1100. They probably originated on the left side of the Rhine and
settled down later in the Westerwald, where they still live today.
The head of the family bears the title of hereditary prince (Fürst)
since Count Johann Friedrich Alexander of Wied-Neuwied was raised in
this rank on 29 May 1784. The house lost its sovereignty after the
Congress of Vienna (1814-1815).
Among the famous members of the family are:
- Count Hermann (1477-1552), Archbishop and Elector of Cologne
(1515-1547), who introduced the Reformation in Cologne
- Prince Maximilian (1782-1867), who explored the north of Brazil on
Humboldt's trail in 1815-1817 and Northern America in 1824-1832
- Princess Elizabeth (1843-1916), Queen of Romania and a famous poetess
under the name of Carmen Sylva
- Prince Wilhelm (1876-1945), Prince of Albania from 7 March to 3
September 1914.

Wilhelm of Wied was not among the first 19 candidates to the throne, as
listed by Christian Schmitz. However, Austria-Hungary and Italy said
that the Prince had to be a Protestant in order to rule impartially the
Mahometan, Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic components of the Albanian
nation. Wied was also probably proposed by Germany against
Austria-Hungary; Queen Elizabeth of Romania, née Princess of Wied, was
his aunt, and King of Romania was the German Prince Karl of
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Since Germany was the least interested of the
six powers in the Balkan question, the German candidate was accepted
by the other powers.
On 21 February 1914, 18 Albanian delegates representing the 18
districts of Albania came to the castle of Neuwied and offerred the
crown of their country to Prince Wilhelm of Wied.
The Prince accepted and landed with his family in Durrës on 7 March
1914, but his rule was short and unsuccessful. Wied was a brilliant
officer but had no skills for international diplomacy. Moreover, he
lacked the promised international political and financial support;
Italy openly intrigued against him and Germany refused to depart from
strict neutrality. The Muslims in Central Albania revolted, led by the
Toptani family and its leader Essad Pasha, and asked for the
reincorporation into Turkey. Wied left Albania on 3 September 1914, one
month after the beginning of the First World War.

Flag of the Principality of Albania

The prince commissioned the heraldist Emil Dopler Jr, who presented him five proposals on 17 February 1914. The flag of the Principality was similar to the former flag of Albania, except that the double-headed eagle had yellow beaks and claws holding a yellow thunderbolt.

Jaume Ollé, 15 July 1996

Prince's standard

Prince's standard - Image by Jaume Ollé, 15 July 1996

During his short reign, the Prince of Wied used a personal standard similar to the national flag, but square and charged with a crown instead of a star over the eagle and a yellow escutcheon charged with a peacock on the eagle's chest.

Jaume Ollé, 15 July 1996

The peacock was the family coat of arms of the princes of Wied and
became also the coat of arms of the new Albanian state. It is reported that the flag with the
peacock still flies over the castle of Neuwied.

Mario Fabretto, 28 August 1998

The coat of arms of Wied is shown on Arnaud Bunel's website as:
Or four bends gules a peacock in natural all over.
On these arms, the peacock does not fan its tail.
The complicated arms of the Princes of Wied have 12 quarters and an
escutcheon Or a peacock in natural. The peacock there fans its tail.
Bunel supposes that the escutcheon shows the arms of Neuwied.
The same "dynastic symbol" is shown on the (reconstructed) flag of the Principality of Wied.

Ivan Sache, 12 April 2006

Princess' standard

Princess' standard - Image by Jaume Ollé, 15 July 1996

The Princess' standard differs from the Prince's standard by a thin yellow frame placed around the eagle.

Jaume Ollé, 15 July 1996

Crown Prince's standard

Crown Prince's standard - Image by Jaume Ollé, 15 July 1996

Crown Prince Karl Viktor was only 10 month old when the family left the country. His standard was similar to the Prince's standard but with a field white instead of red and a border made of alternating red and black rectangles.

Jaume Ollé, 15 July 1996

Civil ensign

After 1914, the Albanian civil ensign kept the classical design of the
Ottoman period, with the addition of a white star in the centre of the black stripe. The
designer of the flags of this period, the heraldist E. Dopler, made
the star with an unusual shape, but in reality normal stars were
used.